Human beings are blessed with a wonderful thing – binocular vision. The body has a unique, subconscious coordination among the hands, brain, and eyes. This coordination is all we need to smash true pairs in flight or bring down a hard-flushing quail. When we put impediments between the target and our innate shotgunning ­ability, the chances of missing increases. Impediments that keep one from seeing the target to our best ability can prevent the brain and body from successfully executing the task at hand. Tapping into this underlying reservoir of shotgunning talent isn’t difficult. The proper mindset, combined with some basic technique, will get you headed in the right direction.

Use Both Eyes
If seeing is the key to breaking clays – and it is – it only makes sense to use both eyes while shotgunning. The bodies’ coordination is at its best only when both eyes are open. Unless you know for sure that you are cross-eye dominant, meaning that the eye that looks down the rib of the shotgun isn’t their dominant eye, you should keep both eyes open. With both eyes open, focus solely on the target and remove any conscious calculation of lead from the equation.

If your dominant eye is not the one that you bring up to the rib, you can attempt to correct this shortcoming by either switching hands or obscuring your vision. Deciding which to do is more or less a question of goals. If your ultimate goal is to become the best possible shooter you can be, or you are rather new to shooting clays, than you should switch hands. Doing so will involve a fairly lengthy transition period. If you don’t have plans of competing and just want to break more clays the next time you are out, try closing the dominant eye while shooting or placing a bit of Scotch Tape on the dominant-side lens of your shooting glasses.

Clear Your Mind
But how do you move beyond this dependency on using a conscious sight picture? The trick is to not think about the shot while shooting. A pre-shot routine, in which you pick the spot where you want to position your eyes and start the barrel of your gun (which aren’t in the same place, by the way) and where you want break the target can help. Picking those three spots is all the thinking you want to do. After that, use a simple word or phrase – I often say “watch it break” to myself – before calling for the target. This will help eliminate extraneous thoughts that might inhibit your natural shotgunning ability.

Focus Hard
With a clear mindset prior to the shot, all the shooter needs to do is see the target. But there’s seeing and then there’s really seeing. The term “hard focus” is often used, and it’s as good a description as any for what you want to do. If you’re passively focused on the sky around it, the target will take you by surprise when it appears and will look to be moving much faster than it actually is. Instead, keep your eyes focused on a spot a few feet in front of where the clay bird will first appear and then drill in laser-like on the leading edge of the bird as soon as your eyes detect movement. This will cause the target to pop out of the sky and seem to slow down, giving you the opportunity to make a smooth, unhurried gun mount before breaking the target.

Get the Connection
While the majority of shotgunning is mental, a bit of technique can help as well. At one end of the target’s flight is the spot where you start to pick up the bird and establish a hard focus. At the other end is the place where you want to break the bird, the specifics of which are influenced by the particulars of how that target is thrown and whether there’s another target in the sky at the same time that you need to hit. In between these two points is the place you want to position the muzzle of your shotgun.

As a rule of thumb, start your muzzle about half the way along the target’s flight path. Hold the muzzle on the target line. With this kind of head start, the idea of muzzle speed becomes moot. The moment you see the target, wait for it. As it meets the muzzle, slowly move the gun through the target and pull the trigger. A compact, smooth move with your barrels is the final piece to slowing down the target, getting a hit, and gaining proficiency in the art of shotgunning.

Visit http://mishoot.com/grand-prix-photos/ to view event photos taken at the U.S. FITASC Grand Prix and Kolar Classic at our Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion, Michigan. Feel free to download the photos, print them or do whatever you wish with them. All photos taken by Drew Lieske.

Though a Kolar shotgun is arguably the most dependable and reliable firearm known to man, you should take proper maintenance precautions to ensure that it will function flawlessly. As with any type of firearm, residue can collect. Carbon, dirt, powder, dust, and even grease buildup can lead to gun malfunctions.

Luckily, these malfunctions can be avoided by keeping your shotgun properly cleaned, maintained and stored. Proper gun maintenance is a must for any responsible gun owner.

Storing Your Kolar

The gunsmiths at Kolar recommend that all Kolar shotguns be stored with the hammers dis-engaged. That being said, it is a good idea to release the hammers before you slip your Kolar into a gun sock or gun slip, or break it down into your hard case. To disengage the hammers, ensure that your firearm is unloaded and safe. Then, pull the trigger twice -once for each hammer. Some shooters prefer to use snap caps while dry-firing the gun; however, snap caps are not necessary for your Kolar shotgun. Dry-firing will not harm your Kolar shotgun in any way.

Cleaning Your Kolar

We recommend that you wipe down the exterior and interior of the barrel, the action and the receiver after each use. Rem Oil Wipes make this task quick and easy.

To remove dirt and to prevent rust after operating under rainy conditions, use a bore brush, such as the Comp-n-Choke Tornado Cleaning Brush, to clean the forcing cones (and the choke tube threads while you are at it). Then, run a Tico-tool or bore snake through the barrels to finish the job. Doing this will help to ensure your barrels stay strong and smooth.

Periodically, you should also remove and clean the trigger mechanism and the back-end of the receiver tang, which is only exposed with the stock removed.

When cleaning, you might find gun cleaning picks helpful for removing hard to reach carbon and powder build-up. Most gun cleaning picks are made of a high-strength polymer and will not scratch the surface of your gun.

It is also important to note that the trigger and receiver mechanism should be left dry. It is not recommended to leave standing oil or lubrication in the trigger or in the receiver. An air compressor or aerosol spray bottle both function well to remove any left-over oil that may persist after cleaning.

Greasing Your Kolar

In terms of grease, less is more. Excessive grease application can cause your Kolar shotgun to malfunction, especially if using grease that might thicken and/or freeze when used outside in cold temperatures. The gunsmiths at Kolar use Birchwood Casey RIG® gun grease. Over greasing or using relatively thick grease can cause residue to migrate into spaces that can hinder your shotgun from functioning properly.

It is recommended that you apply a rather thin layer of grease to the (1) trunnion cut-outs on each side of the barrel, (2) forearm locking mechanism on the barrel and (3) the forearm hinge surface. You should also periodically apply some grease to the locking bolt receptacles at the face of the barrel. Please see the below photos for guidance. Please keep in mind that old grease should be removed prior to applying new grease.

Drew Lieske is the oldest son of Michigan Shooting Centers’ founder, Pat Lieske, and the Vice President of Michigan Shooting Centers. He started competing in sporting clays at age 12 and by 15 became Michigan’s youngest ever Master class shotgun shooter. Drew is an 8-time NSCA All-American and a member of the Kolar Arms Pro Staff team. He is currently a full-time student at Hillsdale College, where he balances his duties remotely while pursuing a double major in finance and mathematics.

Michigan Shooting Centers, Inc. is pleased to offer you a unique advertisement opportunity for 2017. For the first time ever, we are offering businesses the ability to sponsor the construction of new stations for our sporting clays courses. For each station sponsorship, we will affix a large, highly-visible metal sign (approx 42in x 16.5in) featuring your business name/logo to a brand new covered shooting station. The sign will be bolted to the entrance to the stand for 3 years. You can provide your own artwork or we can design the sign for you. The cost for one station sponsorship is $2,500. This is a great opportunity to get tens of thousands of impressions and 3 years of constant exposure, while also helping us to fund great-looking new stands. Email Drew Lieske at dlieske@mishoot.com for more details or to reserve your sponsorship today. Downloadable letter.

Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion, MI was selected to host the prestigious U.S. FITASC Grand Prix and Kolar Classic. FITASC, as it is called in the U.S., is an international shooting discipline which is governed by the “Federation Internationale de Tir Aux Sportives de Chasse” in Paris, France. FITASC is an international form of sporting clays which features layouts, instead of stations. Many would argue that it is the ultimate challenge in clay target shooting. The U.S. FITASC Grand Prix & Kolar Classic which will be held June 19-25, 2017, is one of only two international World Cup FITASC events that will be held in the United States in 2017. The event is also a qualification match for shooters trying to earn a position on the NSCA (National Sporting Clays Association) USA team.

Over 400 SHOOTERS are pre-registered to participate in the competition, meaning it will be the largest registered clay shooting competition ever held in the state of Michigan. All of the United States’ top competitors are scheduled to participate, including past World and National champions.

FITASC, however, is not the only thing that competitors will be able to shoot. We will be offering traditional sporting clays, sub gauge and 5-stand events too!

650 Available NSCA Targets To Shoot200 Target Old Style FITASC, 150 Target Sporting Clays Main (75×75), 100 Target Sporting Clays Preliminary, 100 Target 5-Stand, 50 Target 20 Gauge FITASC, 50 Target 28 Gauge FITASC
If you’ve never been to Michigan before, it’s time to take the trip! Pure Michigan is a beautiful place. We have the nation’s longest freshwater coastline, 11,000 inland lakes, 1,300 miles of bike trails, lush vineyards and wineries, some of the nation’s highest ranked golf courses in the country, great craft beer… and, of course, some spectacular shooting facilities! Michigan’s heritage and community spirit is strong, come experience it for yourself and #comeshootwithus.